Acetylene-gas generator.



D. ZiMMERMAN.

' ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-9.1946.

Patented Oct. 23, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

amuamtoz Wihwnocs D. ZIMMERMAN.

ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

APPUCATION FILED FEB. 9. 19's.

1,244,399. Patented Oct. 23, 1917.

2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

w y I WH-meoocs oasis DANIEL ZIMMERMAN, OF MAGLEY, INDIANA.

ACETYLilNE-GAS GENERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 23, 1917.

Application filed February 9, 1916. Serial No. 77,210.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL ZIMMERMAN, citizen of the United States,residing at Magley, in the county of Adams and State of Indiana, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Acetylene-Gas Generators, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to acetylene gas generators and it consists inthe novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

An object of the invention is to provide a generator ofthe characterindicated which is of simple and cheap structural arrangement and whichis automatic in its action to supply water at desired times and indesired quantities to the body of the carbid which is retained withinthe generator.

With this object in view the generator includes a casing having adetachable cover fitting closely and snugly thereon said casing beingprovided with an interiorly located partition the upper and lower edgesof which are spaced from the cover and bottom respectively of thecasing. A pipe leads into the lower portion of the casing and may beused for admitting water into the same or drawing water therefrom. Bellsare movably mounted in the casing at the opposite sides of saidpartition. These said bells are arranged to move vertically over thecompartments detachably mounted in the lower portion of the casing.Water tanks are supported at the upper end of the said compartments andare provided at their bottoms with valves which are adapted to be closedwhen the said bells are at their lowermost position. Springs areconnected with the said valves similarly holding them open when thebells are elevated. Carbid receptacles are placed in the lower portionsof the compartment and are adapted to receive the water which ispermitted to flow or gravitate from the tank. Gas pipes pass through thesides of the casing and extend up under the bells above the .level ofthe surface of the water and the said pipes are provided with suitablevalves and connections for attachment with the surface pipes of abuilding and for attachment with overflow pipes and with the upperportion of the casing.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of the acetylene gas generator.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the same cut on the line 22 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed sectional view of one of the valves.

The acetylene gas generator comprises a casing 1 preferably of sheetmetal and which is provided with a close fitting cover 2. A partition 3is located intcriorly of the casing 1 and the upper and lower edges ofthe said partition are spaced from the cover 2 and the bottom of thecasing 1. A pipe 4 leads into the lower portion of the casing 1 and maybe used for the purpose of supplying water to the interior of the Saidcasing or draining water therefrom as desired. Bells 5 are movablymounted in the casing 1 at the opposite sides of the partition 3 and thesaid bells are provided at their top sides with handles 6. Compartments7 are located in the casing 1 under the bells 5 and the saidcompartments are provided at their sides with outstanding eyes 8 adapted to receive rods 9 which may be screw threaded or otherwise securedwith the bottom of the casing 1. The rods 9 are provided at their upperedge with heads 10 which bear against the upper surfaces of theuppermost'eyes 8 which serve as means for holding the compartments 7 inlowered position in the casing 1 after a quantity of water has beensupplied to the said casing. Water tanks 11 are supported at the upperends of the compartments 7 and the said tanks are provided at their topsides with inlet openings 12. The said tanks are further provided attheir top sides with handles 13. The tanks 11. are provided at theirloottoms with water outlet openings 14 which are surrounded by dependingfunnels 15.

'Valves are provided and adapted to cociperate with the outlet opening14 for the purpose of permitting water to flow from the tanks 11 atdesired times or intervals and as the valves are of the same structuralarrangement a description of one will suffice. Each valve comprises astem 16 which passes through the top of the tank 11 and also through theoutlet opening 14 thereof. The stem 16 at that portion thereof whichlies within the outlet opening 14 is reduced as at 17 so that there isspace between the sides of the stem and the edges of the said opening.Disks 18 and 19 are mounted upon the stem 16 at the opposite sides ofthe bottom of the tank 11 and at the opposite ends of the reducedportion 17 of the said stem. The said disks are spaced from each otherfor a distance greater than the transverse thickness of the bottom ofthe tank 11 consequently one disk may only at one time be in contactwith the bottom of the tank. The disk 18 is located above the bottom ofthe tank while the disk 19 is located below the same. A cross pin 20passes transversely through the upper end of the stem 16 at a pointabove the top of the tank 11 and a flat spring 21 is mounted upon thetop of the tank and engages under the said pin 20. The spring 21 isunder tension with a tendency to hold the stem 16 in an elevatedposition whereby the disk 19 is held against the lower surface of thebottom of the tank 11. The-upper end of the stem 16 is in the path ofmovement of the top of the bell 5 over the said stem and when the saidbell descends to its lowermost position in the casing 1 the top of thesaid bell encounters the upper end of the stem 16 and moves the samedown against the tension of the spring 21. As soon as the bell 5 movesin an upward direction the tension of the spring 21 comes into playwhereby the stem 16 is moved in an upward direction and the disk 19 isreturned to its normal position against the lower surface of the bottomof the tank 11.

Receptacles 22 are located in the lower portions of the compartments 7and are adapted to hold the calcium carbid. The said receptacles areprovided with bail handles 23 and the said receptacles are adapted toreceive the water which may flow or gravit-ate from the superimposedtanks 11 through the funnels 15 when both of the disks 18 and 19 are outof contact with the bottoms of the tanks 11.

Pipes 24 pass through the sides of the easing 1 and the inner portionsof the said pipes are extended up along the bells 5 and terminate underthe top portions of the bells at points above the levelof the watercontained within the casing 1. The said pipes 24. are provided withconnections 25 whereby they may be attached with the service pipes of abuilding and the said connections are provided with suitable valves 26.The pipes 24: are further provided at points above the connection 25with valves 27. The upper ends of the pipes 24. are connected with theupper portions of the casing 1 and the upper ends of the said pipes arealso provided with fittings 28 which may serve as overflow pipes forleading any excess of gas from the machine and to the exterior of thebuilding.

The operation of the generator is as follows: Assuming that a suitablequantity of water has been led into the casing 1 through the pipe 4: andthe receptacle 22 containing the calcium carbid has been positioned inthe compartment 7 and also quantities of water have been poured into thetank 11 through the inlet opening 12 thereof. Be-

naeaaee fore placing the cover 2 in the position upon the upper end ofthe casing 1 an operator grasps one of the handles and elevates the bell5 to which it is attached. This ermits the spring 21 under said bell tolift the stem 16 with which it is connected whereby the disk 18 ispulled away from the bottom of the tank and the disk 19 is pulled towardthe bottom of the tank. During this movement some of the water willgravitate or flow from the tank to the opening 14 and is 1 directed bythe funnels 15 into the receptacle 22 below. hen the water comes incontact with the calcium carbid gas is generated whereby pressure iscreated under the hell 5 and the gas may enter the pipe 24. It is to beunderstood that prior to this operation or manipulation the valves 26and 27 have been closed. After gas is generated and confined under oneof the bells 5 the machine needs no further personal attention on thepart of an operator or attendant. The cover 2 is placed in position uponthe upper end of the casing 1. The valves 26 and 27 are then opened andthe gas may flow from the pipe 2 1 through the connections to theservice pipes of the building and the excess of gas will pass along theupper portions of the pipe 24 and enter the upper portion of thecasing 1. excess of gas become abnormal it may pass through the fittings28 which are provided with suitable check valves (not shown) and to theexterior of the building.

Should the As soon as the bells 5 rise in the casing 1 I to positionwhereas their tops are carried beyond the upper end of the stem 16 andout of contact with the same, the springs 21 which bear against the saidstem moves the disk 19 up into closed position against the bottoms ofthe tanks 11 whereby the outlet openings 14 are closed and the flow ofwater from the tanks 11 to the receptacle 22 is interrupted. As the gasis consumed the bells 5 descend and when their tops come in contact withthe upper ends of the stems 16 the said stems are moved in a downwarddirection against the tension of the springs 21 whereby the disks 19 aremoved away from the bottoms of the tanks 11. and the said stems 16descend, until. the disks 18 come in contact with the upper surfaces ofthe bottoms of the said tanks. ll? at any time during the operation ofmachine the springs 20 should break or become disarranged the stems 16connected with the said springs will be turned by gravity whereby thedisks 18 are seated upon the bottoms of the tanks 11 over the openings14: thereof and the generation of the gas under the said tanks istemporarily suspended until the said broken or disarranged parts havebeen repaired or replaced.

The operation of the valves 17 and 27 is as follows: When the apparatusis being started and the hell 5 is placed in position in the casing 1the adjacent valve 27 is opened whereby the air which is confined underthe bell may pass out through the pipes 24 and 28. This permits the bell5 to descend nd when it comes in contact tank rests loosely on the edgeof the-compartment, and the gas begins to accumulate under the bell 5.The said valve 27 is then closed. As the gas accumulates under the bellit is raised out of contact with the stem 16 and the spring 21 raisesthe said stem whereby the disk 19 is closed against the lower end of theopening 14 and the valve 17 is closed, thus stopping the flow of waterfrom the tank 11 into the receptacle 22 and also stopping the generationof gas. The valve 26 is then opened whereby the gas passes from the pipe24: into the service pipe 25 and the bell 5 begins to descend. At thistime air may enter the upper portion of the casing 1 through the pipe 28and the bell may descend until it again strikes the upper end of thestem 16 and the valve 17 is opened, more gas is generated and the bellagain elevated aS described.

The farther down the stem 16 is pushed by the bell 5 the greaterdistance is the disk 19 moved away from the opening 14 and the valve 17is opened wider. Thus more water passes from the tank 11 into thereceptacle 22 and a larger quantity of gas is generated. However thebell 5 will not depress the stem 16 to such an extent as to bring thedisk 18 in contact With the upper end of the opening 14-. as thegeneration of gas is faster than the lowering of the bell 5.

Should the spring 21 break the stem 16 will descend by gravity until thedisk 18 closes against the upper end of the opening 14 and thus thevalve 17 is closed and the flow of water from the tank 11 into thereceptacle 22 is interrupted, which stops the generation of gas andprevents waste of the carbid which would be caused by a large quantityof water passing from the tank 11 into the receptacle 22, in the eventthat the spring 21 should break. When the carbid in the receptacle 22 isexhausted the valve 27 of the exhausted side is opened which allows airto pass under the bell and then the cover 2 may be removed from thecasing 1 and the said bell lifted out and the carbid replenished.

From the above description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawing it will be seen that an acetylene gas generator of simple anddurable structure is provided and that the same is automatic in itsaction in reducing the as and furthermore the apparatus is provi ed withmeans for interrupting the operation of any particular unit of themachine in the event that the parts become displaced or broken.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is 1. An acetylenegas machine comprising a casing having a detachable cover, compartmentslocated in the casing, means for holding the compartments in loweredposition within the casing, means for introducing water into the casing,bells movably mounted over the compartments, tanks mounted in thecompartments and provided at their bottoms with water outlets, valvestems movably mounted in the tanks and having disks adapted to moveagainst the opposite sides of the bottoms of the tanks, said disks beingspaced apart for a distance greater than the thickness of the bottoms ofthe tanks, the upper ends of the stems adapted to be encountered by thetops of the bells, springs mounted upon the tan s and engageable withthe stems, to normally hold them in elevated position and a pipe forconducting the gas from under the bells and connected with the casing,at the upper portion thereof.

2. An acetylene gas generator comprising a casing, a partition locatedtherein, a detachable cover for the casing, said partition having itsedges spaced from the cover and the bottom of the casing, means forintroducing water into the casing, compartments located in the casing atthe opposite sides of the partition, rods detachably connected with thebottom of the easing, and connected with the compartments for holdingthe same in lowered position in the casing, water tanks positioned uponthe compartments and having in their bottoms outlet openings, carbidreceptacles located in the lower portions of the compartments, valveslocated in the tanks and having reduced portions passing through theoutlet openings thereof, disks mounted upon the stems of the valves andspaced apart for a distance greater than the vertical thickness of thebottoms of the tanks, the upper ends of the stems of the valvespositioned above the tops of the tanks, springs mounted upon the tanksand engaging the upper portions of the valve stems and adapted tonormally hold the said stems in elevated position, bells movablymounted. over the com partment the upper ends of the valves stems lyingin the path of movement of the said bells, and pipes leading from underthe bells and connected with the upper portion of the casing.

3. In an acetylene gas generator a casing,

for introducing water in the casing, a compartment located in thecasing, a bell movably mounted over the compartment, a Water tanklocated in the compartment and provided at its bottom with a wateroutlet, a valve having a stem passing through the outlet opening, thestem of the said valve projecting above the top of the tank and lying inthe path of movement of the bell, a spring mounted upon the tank andconnected with the stem for normally holding the same in an elevatedposition, disks mounted upon the valve stem and located one above and

